The organization announced that the performance by director Marco Martins, which will involve 400 people—both professional and amateur artists—will mark the beginning of the European Capital of Culture (CEC) Evora in the coming year, in February.
John Romau, Director of the Artistic Department of CEC Evora 27 and also a project commissioner, told the Lusa agency that it will be a spectacular performance with a strong musical, visual, and choreographic focus.
The artistic presentation, dedicated to the general theme of wandering (Vagar)—a typical Alentejo expression underlying the CEC—will take place on February 6, 2027, in Rossio de São Brás Square, near the gates of the city's historic center, which is currently undergoing reconstruction.
According to John Romau, the show will feature artists such as Portuguese Carminho, Colombian Lucresia Dalt, Iranian Mohammad Reza Mortazavi, or Spanish Yeray Cortés, as well as representatives of regional cultural associations and other participants, totaling 400 people.
Romau noted that Marco Martins has proven experience participating in public life in various projects, emphasizing that his works unite 'professional artists with amateurs and communities from different contexts.'
The Director of Evora 27 also indicated that Marco Martins is 'accustomed to working with large teams' and conducting work by 'listening to the place and its communities through artistic residencies.' In this case, 'the process does not differ much,' as the director visited the region, meeting with 'agents and cultural associations to draw inspiration and gather information, and then create a universe for the play he is developing.'
Highlighting that the project involves a 'very large team,' John Romau specifically mentioned the participation of Marco da Silva Ferreira in choreographic collaboration and Selina da Piedade in accompanying the musical research.
The responsible person reported that the first phase of rehearsals, during which 'many people were invited daily' after 'gathering and listening to the territory,' took place in the city in July, and the second phase began this month.
The play's script will be created by a team consisting of architects Manuel Aires Mateus and João Romau, as well as artist and set designer Isabel Cordovil.
He noted that the performance will take place in Rossio de São Brás Square, Evora's largest public space, and predicts that between 30,000 and 40,000 people will attend this artistic event, which will have free entry.
According to the contract between the Evora 2027 Association and Arena Ensemble, the theatre platform led by Marco Martins, which was consulted by Lusa on the Base portal, the creation, production, and staging of the play require an investment of 609,756 euros plus VAT.